Limoneira Company Grows a New Solar Orchard - Harvests Energy from the Sun

In a June 27th press release Limoneira Company announced that it would begin using solar energy at Porterville Ranch, part of the Company's Northern California operations. In 2008, Limoneira unveiled its first solar facility at its headquarters in Santa Paula to provide energy for its packing operations. The following year, additional solar capacity was added at the Company's northern farming operations at Ducor Ranch.

Harold Edwards, Limoneira's CEO said, "Clean solar energy is positive for our company, the communities in which we operate and for our planet. These projects are the right thing to do, and they've been successful."

Limoneira is generating clean energy and capturing savings too. As energy costs continue to rise, the Company has locked in their electrical rates. The projects reduce their electrical costs from Southern California Edison by approximately 70%.

Mark Palamountain, Senior Director of Agricultural Operations said that "Limoneira's solar facilities are capable of producing 3,900 megawatt hours annually or 97500 MW over a 25-year period which equates to a reduction of 64,000 tons of CO2 emissions."

Edwards said that "Like its predecessors, we expect a good return from this new solar project. We'll continue to evaluate projects that make sense for us."

Technology has been advancing rapidly, and the project located at the Company's Porterville Ranch, about 50 miles north of Bakersfield, California is expected to deliver 385,000 KW yearly.

Limoneira's Porterville Ranch is 669 acres with 650 acres of agricultural plantings consisting of approximately 145 acres of lemons, 376 acres of Navel oranges, 27 acres of Valencia oranges, and 102 acres of specialty citrus and other crops.

Limoneira's sustainability efforts are extensive. In addition to solar energy, the Company has sustainable projects for green waste recycling, water, integrated pest management and work force housing a comprehensive overview can be found on the Company's website.

The Wall Street Transcript Interview with Harold Edwards

The Wall Street Transcript's July Agriculture issue features an interview with Harold Edwards, highlighting Limoneira initiatives.

In publication since 1963, The Wall Street Transcript is a well-established and prestigious publication in the finance community, which has interviewed the CEOs and senior executives of public companies, Money Managers handling billions of dollars of assets, and Equity Analysts from leading investment banks around the world and publishing these interviews verbatim.

Large investment houses such as Merrill Lynch, Morgan Stanley, and Goldman Sachs, contribute their opinions on various market topics regularly to The Wall Street Transcript.

The Wall Street Transcript has been awarded various awards and accolades, as well as having being cited by Forbes as the Best Web Site Publication for Stock Picking. It has 200,000 readers every month, 5,000 readers who choose to receive publications in print, furthermore 67 percent of these readers invest more than $75,000 annually and 71 percent of the readers have annual incomes greater than $100,000.

California Citrus Funds $8m HLB Cure Research Facility

A Biosafety-Level 3 research facility will be constructed near the University of California Riverside (UCR) to conduct work to combat Huanglongbing HLB. California Citrus Mutual (CCM) will provide $8 million to build the facility in partnership with UCR.

The facility will allow researchers, including many from UC Riverside who are experts on citrus pests, diseases and breeding, to conduct work with plant pathogens that previously couldn't be done in southern California.

From this effort the California Citrus Research Foundation was born, a subsidiary formed by CCM. Seven members of the citrus industry have stepped forward to serve as trustees of the organization including Harold Edwards, Limoneira, Gerald Denni, Sunkist, Jim Marderosian, Bee Sweet, Etienne Rabe, Wonderful Citrus, John Demshki, Corona-College Heights Orange & Lemon Association, Curt Holmes, CCM and David Smith Booth Ranches.

At a ground breaking ceremony for the facility in early June, UC Riverside Chancellor Kim Wilcox discussed the establishment in 1907 of the Citrus Experiment Station in Riverside. The station eventually grew into the UCR campus. The research station received a boost after a 1913 freeze devastated the citrus industry.

"Now, unfortunately, 100 years later, we have a different kind of natural threat," Wilcox said. "It's not weather in this case but an insect. Again the university, the federal government and private partners have come together and said 'We can address this.'" During the celebration, Nelsen outlined the devastation that HLB has caused in Florida, Brazil and Mexico.

"That's why it's so important we forge this partnership today," Nelsen said at the event. "That's why it's so important that we work together on the federal level, the university level, the state level and within the industry to stop this insidious disease."

Rep. Ken Calvert, R-CA, of Corona called building the containment facility a long-term investment that will help the fight against HLB and agricultural pests.

"There is going to be another insect down the road," Calvert said. "This isn't the last one. The world is a small place. We need these containment facilities to fight these future onslaughts."

Nelsen expects the facility to be completed by June 2017. It will be solely dedicated to finding a cure for HLB. "We've told UCR that once we find a cure for Huanglongbing then we'll consider allowing access for other types of projects for other commodities," said Nelsen.

New Limoneira Trade Ad for Produce Retailer

A new Limoneira trade ad will grace the pages of Produce Retailer's July issue. This special lemon/lime issue will have bonus distribution at the PMA Food service show in Monterey. The Ad Features Megan Roosevelt and Limoneira One World of Lemons together with the Lemon team's icons that differentiate Limoneira from the competition.

Limoneira Sustainability Initiatives Presented At the MIT Enterprise Forum

On June 15th, Harold Edwards addressed the MIT Enterprise Forum event in Santa Barbara on the topic "The Business of Growing Food and Agriculture-Sustainability from Start-up to Farm". Discussion included Limoneira Solar projects, Integrated Pest Management, Farm Worker Housing, Green Waste Recycling, Site Selection and more.

The Central Coast MIT Enterprise Forum hosts the region's top business and technology events. Their mission is to promote a unique process and atmosphere to develop and strengthen the entrepreneurial community in the Central Coast through interaction with experienced executives who have successfully navigated the challenges of building an organization.

In 1986, the Forum was established in the Ventura area to serve the coastal business communities of Los Angeles, Ventura, and Santa Barbara counties. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology Enterprise Forum has 25 chapters worldwide, each offering unique programs and networking opportunities for entrepreneurs.

Positive Health Wellness and Limoneira

In the social media world, content on Lemons and Beauty caught the attention of Positive Health and Wellness. PHW's mission is to provide a wide variety of resources for people who are enthusiastic and passionate about being positive and healthy - recipes, reviews, health and wellness tips as well as helpful videos. The company strives to maintain a truthful and unbiased collection of knowledge, both in original content, product reviews and tips, as well as curated articles from other top websites that offer relevant content.

We love PHW's combination of relevant, informative topics and style. We look forward to collaborating with them on all things lemon (Beauty, Health, Green Cleaning, Recipes and Lifestyle) and sharing our tips and more with their extensive audience.

Welcome To July and Megan's Easy Tips For Enjoying Lemons This Summer

As the summer months heat up, life moves outdoors and simplicity becomes the spice of life. Megan Roosevelt-Limoneira's Lemons for Life spokesperson and founder of Healthy Grocery Girl has cultivated a list of her favorite ways to integrate lemons into easy, healthy summer living. Check out her video as she walks viewers through summery lemon simplicity.

July tips, additional content and new graphics can be viewed on Limoneira's Lemons for Life webpages and on the Limoneira Blog.

Washington Post Features Blue Apron and Limoneira Pink Lemons

Blue Apron, the meal-kit delivery service is building a fast, almost-cult following among people who want to prepare original home-cooked meals without the fuss of dealing with a shopping list.

And it is hardly alone. Investors have poured hundreds of millions of dollars into a wave of ambitious start-ups with names like Plated and Sun Basket that are aiming to take a piece of a grocery industry that has proven difficult to disrupt.

The dinner-in-a-box companies are betting that they can bypass the supermarket altogether by adding the convenience of curating recipes and portions so that all families have to do is chop and stir and fire up the stove.

It's still too soon to know whether they will ultimately become a threat to traditional grocers. But Blue Apron thinks the secret might be changing the logistics of how fresh food moves to the pantry, fundamentally rethinking the food supply chain by starting all the way back at the farm.

Agriculture experts say this attempt to match supply with demand resembles a CSA, or community-supported agriculture, model, where farmers sell directly to a pre-paid group of families - but on a massive scale.

Take a crop like pink lemon, another item that Blue Apron thinks it has bought the entire commercial supply of. If shoppers saw the uncommon green-and-yellow striped fruit at the supermarket, they might not know what to do with it - and so they probably wouldn't buy it.

But Blue Apron isn't selling a pink lemon. It's selling a recipe. It's selling something like Za'atar Chicken and Pearl Couscous that is dressed with a pink lemon compote. By providing the pink lemon as part of a broader suite of ingredients, and providing instructions on what to do with it, Blue Apron thinks it's better positioned to do a big business in unconventional produce, and differentiate itself from other sellers.

Analysts say Blue Apron and others of its ilk seem to have tapped into something very powerful and appealing to today's consumer.

"Everyone's busy; no one has any time. This is a trend we're seeing across multiple industries, not just food. People are increasingly demanding that products and services come to them," said Fiona O'Donnell, an analyst at Mintel.

Blue Apron is still a relatively tiny presence in the behemoth grocery business: Marketing research firm Mintel estimates that all the meal-kit delivery companies combined account for less than 1 percent of the home grocery market.

And yet it has grown rapidly since it was founded in 2012 by Salzberg, Wadiak and chief technology officer Ilia Papas.

"If you have really great ingredients," Wadiak said, "The food almost cooks itself."

Monthly Spotlight- Portuguese Chef and Mixologist Experts

Luís Santos - INcomum, Sintra, Portugal 

Chef Luís Santos is the owner and Executive Chef of INcomum in Sintra Portugal. His adventure in gastronomy began at age 18, at the Hotel Du Rhone in Switzerland, as a kitchen assistant to Giles Dupond, the celebrated chef from Lyon d'Or in Geneva. Dupond taught Santos his methods, how to work a product and introduced him to new flavors.

Chef Luis Santos is shaking up the scene in Sintra with his modern upgrades to Portuguese cuisine, served amid the muted greys and greens of his synchronic dining room. INcomum quickly established itself as the anti-traditional choice among serious foodies. A venture of distinguished chef Luis Santos, INcomum The restaurant draws inspiration from Sintra romanticism even whilst laying down a calm and modern vibe. The restaurant has made a name for itself in an astonishingly short length of time, perhaps helped by the fact that Santos' previous endeavor, luxurious Lisbon restaurant Tágide, has also been held in consistently high esteem. INcomum is a flexible dining experience, lending itself to a luxurious evening meal or a more economical lunchtime set-menu.

Santo's carrot soup with Lemon, pan-fried scallops on lemon grass and Iberian Pork with vegetarian risotto and sweet blue peas are just a few of the delicacies prepared by this master culinary artist.

The Palacio Chiado - Lisbon, Portugal

The Palacio Chiado, in Lisbon began its intriguing historical journey in the early eighteen century 1726 as a mansion owed by Don Francisco de Paula of Portugal and Castro the 8th Count Vimioso and 2nd Marquis of Valencia. In 1726 it was destroyed in a fire. In 1777 Luís Rebelo de Quintela, The Judge of the highest courts in the country, bought land and rebuilt the mansion. The future 2nd Baron of Quintela and 1st Earl of Farrobo, christened Joaquim Pedro Quintela, was born in the mansion.

Over the following centuries the mansion was greatly enlarged and become the Quintela Palace. In 2014 Quintela Palace was reborn by three partners who undertook an impressive restoration. Maintaining the original character was of paramount importance as was remaining true to the palace's historical past to architect Frederick Valassina. The palace's decoration was designed by the architect Catherine Cabral, who sought pieces in a restrained and timeless style to be integrated into the atmosphere of the palace without overwhelming the grandeur of its details.

In the renewed Palace Chiado, the historic rooms now host seven alternative culinary concepts. As an outstanding cosmopolitan venue in the city, it is a timeless blend of history and modern life and has become a European gastronomic destination.

Bruno Santos Rodrigues - Palacio Chiado

After passing a number of elegant rooms and climbing impressive stone stairs passing a suspended massive golden winged lion, visitors reach the top floor of the Palacio Chiado. The eye takes in eighteenth century grandeur including pilasters and impressive stonework, frescos and paintings. A massive modern glass bar is centered in the middle of one of the rooms overlooking iron balconies facing a lovely park. Buzz and excitement permeate the space as culinary creations are perfected and artistic cocktails are created. Impervious to the din, Master Mixologist Bruno Santos Rodriques works his magic. "I love what I do says Santos Rodrigues. "Our cosmopolitan clientele bring me tales of their travels, and I get to delight them with the beautiful flavors of Lisbon and Chiado.

Santos Rodrigues works hard at his craft and has been known for his use of interesting ingredients, including a plethora of the famous regional ports. "I love lemons and have been perfecting an idea for lemon zest that will be ready for release in the near future".

Snapshot - European Lemon Statistics

The European Community is a net importer of lemons and imported 397,572 Metric Tons of lemons in marketing year 2014/15 (most recent figures available) which was 4.6% more than the previous year for a value of $512 million.

Argentina, Turkey and Brazil are the leading lemon suppliers to the EU followed by Mexico and South Africa. Spain is the leading producer of lemons in the EU with 784,000 Metric Tons in 2014/15 (a decrease of 28%) followed by Italy, Greece, Cyprus and Portugal. Spain's production decrease was attributed to unfavorable weather conditions during their Spring which affected flowering and fruit set.

European Annual per capita lemon consumption for 2014/15 was 6lbs per person.

Metrics Show Strong Wine Industry Growth

In a June 15th article, Wines and Vines Magazine shared that direct-to-consumer shipments are increasing just one of the positive Wine Industry Metrics tracked by Wines Vines Analytics and based on data from the market research firms IRI and BW166 as well as the winejobs.com Winery Job Index.

The total value of DtC shipments in May increased by $42 million over last May, and the 12-month total grew 11% to $2.1 billion. Shipment volume reached 432,006 cases in May.

According to Jon Moramarco of BW166, total U.S. wine sales of table and sparkling wine increased 1% to $2.63 billion, and in the past 12 months sales approached $37 billion. The 12-month total is 2% more than during the same period last year. Please visit the Limoneira Blog to view more.

Party like A Pirate - Moonlight at the Ranch X September 10th

Moonlight at the Ranch X will take place September 10, 2016, at Historic Limoneira Ranch. This year's theme is "Party like a Pirate" where you are invited to dress as your favorite Pirate or just go casual. Enjoy appetizers, a no-host cocktail party, and tastings from dozens of fine restaurants, exciting raffles, and dancing the night away. We're excited to announce this year's music will be provided by the Sound Effect Band and DJ Bruce Barrios.

By attending this event, you'll be helping to make Santa Paula safer by assisting the Police and Fire Departments in providing quality services and valuable programs in our community.

All proceeds from Moonlight at the Ranch benefit the Santa Paula Police & Fire Foundation, a 501(c)(3) charitable organization (Tax ID# 26-1911132). The SPPFF provides a source of supplemental funding for essential services and equipment that go above and beyond what the City's budget allows.

Moonlight at the Ranch has become Ventura County's signature event by dazzling guests with theme-rich displays from vintage vehicles and space ships to shootouts and walking the red carpet at a film premier.

We invite you to take a look at the dozens of wonderful photos of past moonlights. Magic, Mayhem and Fun!

www.moonlightattheranch.com

Back and Better Than Ever- Pumpkin Patch At Limoneira Ranch in October

It may seem a little early to get your pumpkin carving gear on, but we want to make sure you mark your calendars. Every Saturday and Sunday this October, Limoneira Ranch with wide open green vistas framed by mountains will be the site of fall fun with Santa Paula Rotary's bigger and better than ever Pumpkin patch and brand new 5 Acre Corn MaiZe. The twenty thousand people from Southern California (and beyond) that typically arrive for the Patch each year are in for a real treat!

The Pumpkin Patch, previously held at Santa Paula based Faulkner Farm has been relocated to the Limoneira Olivelands Ranch where Limoneira, began back in 1893, and is still in operation producing citrus and avocados for the world's hungry consumers. "History abounds, with barns, outbuildings and lots of vintage farm equipment and orchards for everyone to see and enjoy" says Ginger Gherardi, Rotary board member.

Visitors to the patch will experience flying pumpkins from a recreated French Trebuchet (aka Pumpkin chucker). Kids and the young at heart can catapult pumpkins thousands of feet towards the "Castle" and win prizes. There's also a towering hay pyramid, hay maze, FFA animals to see and hold, old fashioned hay wagon rides through the groves, acres of pumpkins, squash and gourds, food, crafts, live entertainment and a harvest of fun.

New to this year's Pumpkin Patch will be a gigantic corn MaiZe. Visitors fortunate enough to stumble onto the correct pathways may exit the MaiZe in less than 30 minutes; the more directionally-challenged may wander the puzzles for a couple of hours providing a source of recreation that is fun for all ages, clean, educational and unique. The MaiZe being created at the Pumpkin Patch has been featured on CNN, National Geographic, CBS, NBC, Discovery, People Magazine and more.

Santa Paula Rotarian Mike Mobley said, "We're really excited about the MaiZe and this year's Patch. Limoneira Ranch is "the" place to pick a perfect pumpkin, have fun and learn a little something about agriculture, whether you come with your kids, grandparents, spouse, date or school. It just seems to appeal to everyone."

According to Carlos Juarez, Santa Paula Rotary President "Many people have said that Santa Paula's Pumpkin Patch is a tradition, and that it just isn't autumn or the start of the Holiday Season without it".

Treasure your autumn each weekend this October at The Pumpkin Patch at Limoneira Ranch. Saturdays and Sundays in October: 1-2, 8-9, 15-16, 22-23 and 29-30 between 10am and 5 pm. School Trips, by reservation, take place on Fridays, October 7, 14, 21 and 28th. Admission is $5.00 and the Corn MaiZe is $10.00 (which includes admission to the Pumpkin Patch). The Pumpkin Patch is located on Foothill Road in Santa Paula, California just across from the Olivelands School.

For more information: Pumpkin Patch at Limoneira Ranch

Limoneira Winner's Block

This month our lucky winner is Mural Manjunath from Singapore. As our monthly winner,  Mural  has won a Limoneira Orchard Fresh or Lifestlyes Gift.  Congratulations  Mural !!!

For your chance to win, make sure you're on our mailing list to be entered into our monthly drawing. To join  click here  or visit our website at  www.Limoneira.com.

Be sure to check out our other contests and drawings for additional changes to win prizes.